Nag Panchami festival occurs on the auspicious day of Shravana Shukla Panchami that is the fifth day fortnight of Shravana Masam (July/August). Nag Panchami observed on Sunday 7th August in 2016. Nag Panchami is also called as Naga Chaturdi, Naga Chaturthi and Naga Panchami. Naga means Snake and the festival is called as Naga Panchami as this festival is all about worship of Snakes on the fifth day of Shravana Masam. Nag Panchami is observed on Shravana Masam. Nag Panchami festival is worshiping snakes is occurring since the olden days and called with various names Nagaraju, Nagadevatha and Naganna.

Nag Panchami 2016

Procedure Of Naga Panchami :

Naga Panchami and Nagula Chavithi is mostly celebrated by Hindus. Nag Panchami is observing pooja to Naga Devatha hence, mainly it is the women's festival. on the auspicious day of the Nag Panchami festival, women wake up early do abhyanga snana. They will make corn from Jonnalu (Jowar, sorghum, cholam). A Sweet is prepared Generally sira (Prepared with Bombay Rava and milk, Kaju, Sugar) and some People will also offer Rice as naivedyam. Women keep fast and observe Naga Puja. Devotees offer milk, eggs, Jower, naivedya, Flowers, dry fruits, pasupu (Turmeric), Kumkum (Vermilon), Akinthalu (Prepared with the combining of Rice, Turmeric, Kumkum And Ghee) and kankanam (Prepared with thread, turmeric and Flower) to Naga Devata at the Putta (snake pits). After pooja people do Pradakshina's Five or nine or eleven as the their wish. After that people will give the Jonnalu and sira with the surrounding people. women's will pour milk into snake pits, turmeric and kumkum after collect some Pit mud and mix it in some milk and after coming to home they will wash the eyes with the milk and tie the kankanam to the hand. After this process women's will broke the fast and take the naivedya as food.

Significance Of Naga Panchami :

Naga Panchami is festival of worshiping snakes. Naga Panchami is celebrated in Lord Shiva temples also. Snakes are believed to Gods since purana's. As we know lord Shiva neck is covered with a snake, Lord Vishnu sleeps (shesha talapam) on snake. Lord Krishna dances on a snake (Kaliya snake) in his childhood. South India worshiping snakes as a part of Lord Shiva pooja. As we see every temple has Nagadevatha idol underneath of the tree. As a popular legend associated with Nag Panchami is Lord Shiva drank the Halahala (poison) to save the universe during the famous incident of samudra manthan between the gods and demons. On the Nag Panchami day Lord Shiva also worshiped. Lord Shiva wears snake as an ornament on the neck.